Method of and means for supplying internal-combustion engines with fuel



D L. WINTERS.

METHOD'OF AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING INTERNAL COMBUS-TION ENGINES WITH FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-4.1917.

1,337,338, Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID L. WINTERS, OF EDGEWA'IELR, MARYLAND.

METHOD OF AND Application filed January 4, 1917.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dxvn) L. \vrx'rnns, citizen of the United States, residingat Edgewater, in the county of Anne Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Means for Supplying Internal- Combustion Engines with Fuel. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the method of and means for supplying internal combustion engines with fuel. and particularlyto the method of supplying such engines with less volatile and more economical fuel, composed of a mixture of'gasolene and kerosene.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a method and means whereby, and without manual re-adjustinent of the valves controlling the mixture, the engine issupplied at certain times with gaso lene only, and at other times with a mixture of gasolene and kerosene.

A. further object of the invention is. the provision of a method and means whereby, and without manual. re-adjustment of the the consumption of kerosene is increased or diminished in accordance witlrthe needs of'the.

engine, without increasing or the consumption of gasolene.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a method and means whereby the fuel after entering the fuel reservoir in the carbureter, is subjected to heat other than the heat generated within the engine, to render it more suitable for combustion.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a method and nieanswhereby the amount of heat to which the fuel is thus subjected is increased or diminished in proportion. to the amount of fuel being consumed.

Referring to diminishing the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a motor-car,

partly broken away, and represents my invention as applied to the engine thereof Fig. 2 is a detail perspective of a portion of the gasolene pipe, and the valves therein; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a carbureter, showing-the fuel reservoir thereof. an electric heater attached thereto, and a rheostat for such heater; Figj' t is a detail perspective of the levers to effect cooperative regulation of the fuel passing to the engine. and the heat to which the fuel is being subjected.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I gency valve 15.

MEANS FOR SUPPLYING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES WTTH FUEL.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Serial No. 140,655.

Like reference numerals denote like parts wherever used.

The carbureter control shown herein, is the subject matter of my application filed December 271 1916. Serial Number 139,227.

5 is an internal combustion engine, 6' represents the kerosene supply; 7 is a supply of gasolene positioned at a greater elevation than the kerosene, or under greater air pressure than the kerosene, which ever is most convenient, for a purpose hereafter described. 8 is a carbureter, and 9 is the operating lever to control the passage of air and fuel therethrough; 10'is a feed pipe to supply the carbureter with kerosene,'11 is a feed pipe to supply the carbureter with gasolene. and 12 is a check valve in the feed pipe 11). the purpose of which is to prevent the gasolene from backing up into the kerosene container (3. 13 and 14: are the usual -service valves, to be closed when repairs are being efiected. 15 is an emergency valve in the gasolene feed pipe, for a purpose hereafter described. gasolene feed pipe, surrounding the emer- 17 is a needle valve in the by-pass 16, for a purpose hereafter described. 18 is a pipe to supply the carbureter .with heated air, from the exhaust manifold of the engine. in the usual manner.

Feed pipes 10 and 11 are joined togetherat the fuel entrance to the carbureter. The normal position of valve 15 is closed, and

, the normal position of the needle valve 17 is that which will supply the en ine with sufficient gasolene for starting and for runlight load condining idle, or under very tions. The ob ect in positioning the gasolene "supply 7- at a greater elevation than the kerosene supply 6, is to insure, by the greater pressure the gasolene feed pipe, the consumption of ga-solene at all'times to the extent provided by this adjustment of the needle-valve 17. I

Assuming that the valves are in their normal positions, as thus far described, the operation is as follows: i

The. engine is started in the usual manner and is being operated on gasolene only, because the adjustment of the needle valve 17 is such that it will provide fuel slightly in excess of the quantity required by the engine while running idle. The engine and the exhaust manifold become 'quickly heated 110 16 is a by-pass in the.

in this manner, and, because of the heat in the engine, and also'because heated air-1s now being supplied to the carbureter through the air inlet 18, conditions have? been established under which a'less volatile fuel may be successfully utilized. I

When the engine is operated under varying conditions of load, thisadjustment 0f the needle valve 17 prevents the engine from receiving a suflicient amount of fuel from the gasolene supply." -Under" these conditions the pressure in the feed pipeslO and .11 becomes equalized, and the carbureter is supplied with both gasolene and kerosene".

' lVhen the engine is consuming more than twice'the amount of fuel being supplied by this fixed adjustment of the needle valve 17, the consumption of kerosene is greater than the consumption of gasolene. and when the engine is consuming less than twice the amount of fuel being supplied by this fixed adjustment of the needle valve 17, the consumption of kerosene is less than the con sumption of gasolene.

This is highly desirable because, when the engine is being operated under greatly throttled condition, the consumption of the fuel is not accompanied by sufiicient heat and compression to insure the efiicient combustion of a less volatile mixture.

I realize that the maximum efficiency of neither the engine or the carbureter can be obtained by the use of fuel less volatile than gasolene. and I therefore provide the operator with the emergency valve 15, by means of which he can instantly provide the carbureter with an unlimited supply of gasolene, without disturbing the adjustment of the needle valve 17.

'In order to render the fuel as volatile as possible, I provide the fuel reservoir 19 of the carbureter 8 with an electric heater 20, provided with the usual heating coils 21-, the usual conduits 22.]eading from a battery or dynamo circuit, a conduit extension 23, leading to a rheostat 24., provided with an operating lever25. The bottom of the fuel reservoir 19 is preferably composed of very thin metal. and the float 26 therein. is preferably ofa size that will almost fill the res ervoir 19.

The object of this construction is to permit of the quick heating of the fuel in the reservoir 19. upon the operation of the rheostat lever'25. As will be seen a comparatively thin body of fuel will be present between the bottom of the float 26 and the bottom of the reservoir 19 to be subjected to the heat of the coils 21', this resulting in the quick heating of the fuel.

Because of a partial vaporization of the fuel in the reservoir 19 under this condition of operation, I provide in the upper portion of this reservoir, a vent 27 "through which this vapor may pass into the mixing chamber 28.

Th s is important, because an accumulation of vapor in the upper part of the reser voir ltl would teml to lower the normal level of ,the liquid fuel therein. and seriously affect the eflicient operation of the liquid fuel valve 29. i

30 is a pipe to supply the fuel containers 6 and T with air pressure in the usual manner, and il are gages to indicate the fuel levels therein.

The kerosene container 6 may be supplied withany fuel less volatile than gasolene. For instance. a mixture of gasolene and kerosene may be found desirable under some conditions of operation. especially in cold weather, when even gasolene is not sufficiently volatile to permit of el'iicient combustion. without first being heated. It is preferable that the heating coils 21 be supplied with current from both a battery and dynamo, because by this method of operation, the fuel in the reservoir may be. heated bymeans of the battery circuit before the engine is started. and thereafter, by means of the dynamo circuit. Such operation would permit of the use of a fixed or predetermined mixture of gasolene and kerosene. since by this method of heating the fuel in thereservoir 19, it can be rendered sufliciently volatile for the needs of the engine, under all conditions of operation.

It will be understood that the rheostat lever 25 may be employed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or may be dispensed with as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the lever 9 operates both the valves in, the c'arbureter, and the rheostat of the heater.

Also, any well known means may be employed to maintain a uniform difference in pressure of the gasolene and kerosene supplies. In the normal operation of the car this difference in pressure remains substantially the same, because of the consumption of gasolene and kerosene inapproximately the same amounts.

I realize tl1at considerable variation is possible in the details of construction and arrangement of 2. In combination with the carbureter of an internal combustion engine, of means for supplying said carbureter with a fixed relatively limited supply of volatile fuel under all conditions of operation, and with a relatively unlimited additional supply of less volatile fuel onl when the engine is operating under load ed conditions.

3. In combination with the carbureter of an internal combustion engine, of means for supplying such carbureter with a restricted supply of volatile fuel under all conditions of operation, and with an additional sup-' ply of less volatile fuel, the supply of said last-referred to fuel being automatically controlled by the load on the engine.

at. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a carbureter, a supply of volatile liquid under pressure, a supply of less volatile liquid under less pressure than the other liquid, and automatically operating means to supply the carbureter with either or both of said liquids during the use thereof.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a carbureter, a supply of volatile liquid under pressure, a supply of less volatile liquid under less pressure than the other liquid, and normally .open conduits to supply the carbureter with both of said liquids one of the conduits being provided with a restricted portion whereby the ratio of supply between the volatile and less volatile liquids is automatically varied according to the load on the engine.

6. In apparatus of the character, de-

scribed, the combination of a carbureter,. a supply of volatile liquid under pressure, a supply. of less volatile liquid under less pressure than the other liquid, normally open conduits to supply the carbureter with both of said liquids, and valve means to restrict the consumption of the first named liquid and to automatically increase the supply of less volatile liquid as the load on the engine first supply having a relatively limited flow,

and the conduit connected with the second supply having a relatively unlimited flow whereby-as the load increases on the engine 1 the proportion of less volatile fuel fed to the carburet-er will be automatically increased.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID L. WINTERS.

' Witriessesz EMILY'F. CA P, L. BROWNE. 

